


Becoming Your Enemy

by Mareel



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Drabble, Episode Related, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-16
Updated: 2012-03-16
Packaged: 2017-11-03 09:44:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/380037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mareel/pseuds/Mareel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Crossing a line.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Becoming Your Enemy

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place against the background of an established relationship between Jonathan and Malcolm. It is Jonathan's voice and is set during the Season 3 episode "Damage" where, after failure of negotiations to trade for an essential engine component, he orders it to be taken by force. This strands the other ship far from home, but will enable Enterprise to make a rendezvous crucial to the success of their mission prevent the Xindi from destroying Earth. In the episode, he'd confided in the ship's physician (Dr. Phlox) asking him if _he'd_ ever done anything unethical. The title references Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" - _To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy._
> 
> This was written for the prompt 'deep and dark'.

______________________________

_‘That’s one small step…’_

I told Phlox I was about to step over a line. My perversion of Armstrong’s words makes my stomach wrench. I swallow the bile, trying to focus on the necessity for that step rather than the act itself. 

It isn’t working. I know what I’m becoming… pirate, marauder… Some will condone any means to the end… doing whatever it takes. 

Malcolm isn’t among them. The horror and disbelief in his eyes nearly undid my resolve and I had to turn away, to become just the Captain in that moment… 

To become no different than our enemy.


End file.
